Blanchard said while inpatient services will close, the Counseling and Wellness Center will continue to provide intensive behavioral health services on an outpatient basis, and DeTar is always equipped to respond to patients who are experiencing a medical emergency.

"Our experienced emergency department team is trained to provide emergency medical care and, if needed, make arrangements for a transfer to a higher level of care," he said.

"As a responsible community health care provider, our quality efforts include continual evaluation of the services we offer to ensure we meet the needs of and provide the best possible experience for our patients," he said. "We've looked closely at the services the community is using most, and we have made the difficult decision to close the Adult Mental Health Center based on its utilization."

Blanchard said the decision was not made lightly, but the hospital is confident focusing its efforts on services the community is using most - such as medical and surgical care, inpatient rehabilitation, cardiac services and emergency and trauma services - will better serve the needs of its patients.